Ever since it was first announced that Zack Snyder was preparing to bring the Man of Steel back to theaters, details have been scarce – forcing stars Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon, and screenwriter David Goyer, among others, to discuss the film in especially vague terms. However, following the release of the latest Man of Steel trailer, Warner Bros. has officially opened their PR floodgates – allowing the cast and crew to talk openly about the highly-anticipated Superman reboot.

In the last few weeks alone we’ve seen a viral warning message from General Zod, discovered there’s no Kryptonite in the film, and confirmed several Man of Steel story spoilers. Cavill and Goyer have kept exceptionally busy with pre-release interview work but today’s Superman news comes courtesy of Snyder – who offers fresh information on what viewers can expect when the Man of Steel takes to the skies as well as the reaction on set when Cavill wore an original Christopher Reeve-style super suit (back in the early days of pre-production).

The latest update comes from an interview with SFX. The full article isn’t available until it hits newsstands on May 1 but the UK magazine provided brief snippets to sate Superman fans. In the preview, SFX focuses on some of the iconic visuals that Snyder had to tackle in Man of Steel – specifically flight, the alien world of Krypton, and the Super Suit.

Considering that “You’ll Believe a Man Can Fly” was the tagline for Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman: The Movie, viewers are always eager to see how subsequent filmmakers intend to tackle Superman’s most challenging, and at the same time iconic, superpower. For anyone familiar with that “grounded” approach the filmmakers have touted for over two years, Snyder’s claim that flying in Man of Steel is “violent” shouldn’t come as much of a surprise:

“It’s a more violent experience. It’s raw. It takes effort to do it, and that’s what we were really going for. It’s almost like there’s this kind of Right Stuff quality to it. He’s constantly booming around, accelerating. You think he’s going as fast as he can and then it’s like ‘Yeeaahh!’ He’s always got an extra gear he can use.”

While we’ve seen Henry Cavill’s pre-flight routine in the Man of Steel teaser, the most recent trailer gives viewers a much better look at that “booming” effect that Snyder mentions – most notably in a brief shot depicting Superman chasing General Zod through Metropolis (likely in the film’s final act).

The latest preview also gave fans a surprisingly clear look at Krypton – hinting at a much larger role for the alien world than in previous live-action Superman stories. Interested readers who want to learn more about Kal-El’s home world can check out our trailer analysis post for a few Krypton-related details (that were later confirmed by Snyder). However, in his conversation with SFX, the director was much more focused on talking about the visual aesthetic of the planet – which he describes as “advanced” but “rusty”:

“I really wanted my Krypton to be this kind of special place that’s immersive and totally different from Earth, but not unbelievable. And ancient. I really wanted to give this ancient feeling to Krypton. I love technology that’s rusty because it’s so old. It’s so advanced, but it’s so old. That was the kind of world that I tried to create. A dying world that’s ancient and torn apart.”

In keeping with a more realistic depiction, Warner Bros. went back to the drawing board for both the design of Krypton as well as the Man of Steel suit – which borrows heavily from Superman’s look in the New 52 comic reboot. However, long before Krypton and the suit’s CGI cape were fully-realized through the power of post-production digital effects, Snyder put star Henry Cavill into a retro super suit – the same version worn by Christopher Reeve – to see if he looked the Superman part.

Christopher Reeve in the 1978 ‘Superman’ Suit

Here’s how Snyder described the time he saw Cavill in the original Superman suit:

“God, he’s so Supermanish it’s crazy! There was a telling moment – we put him in the Christopher Reeve costume, because we didn’t have a suit yet, we just had the old spandex suit. He stepped out of the trailer and no one laughed. It’s the difference between being Superman and dressing up like Superman. If I’m dressed up like Superman it’s like a Halloween costume. If you’re Henry it’s your clothes. It’s awesome. Watch the movie and you’re like ‘Holy S**t, that’s Superman.’ And it’s not weird or crazy, it’s just cool.”

Cavill would later don his own version of the outfit (no curled hair or red “underwear”) – once the prop department had finalized the suit design and fitted the costume to the actor’s body. Still, it’s interesting to know that Snyder believes there’s something innate about what makes a quality Superman – regardless of which super suit he wears.

Plus, taking a Superman actor serious is key in the current superhero landscape – with so many mutants, aliens, and highly-trained heroes vying for box office dollars. According to an interview with the LA Times, it’s a pressure that Snyder was cognizant of the entire time Man of Steel was in production:

“In the comic-book universe, you have all these sort of minor celebrities that have been put up as the end-all, be-all. And then you have the fallen king who’s sadly relegated to the shadows. It’s cool to resurrect him and say, ‘Understand that this is the granddaddy of all superheroes.’

“It’s the most realistic movie I’ve made. There’s no tongue in anyone’s cheek. I’m not apologizing for Superman in any way. I’m saying, ‘Superman is a thing that must be taken seriously and embraced and understood.’”

Of course, “most realistic” is not a phrase that a lot of moviegoers (or comic book fans) would have likely associated with Superman. Still, Snyder’s grounded realism coupled with super-powered action has made Man of Steel one of summer 2013′s most anticipated films.

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Man of Steel is currently in post-production and will hit theaters on June 14, 2013.

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Writer 1 year ago

I just have one question when he came out of the trailer and was in the original suit.

“Did he have the curl in his hair?”

Other than the giant “S” on the guys chest Superman always had the curl at the left side of his face. I hope he has it in the film because it would bring back that nostalgia of the old movies.

He actually originally didn’t have the curl in his hair when he was created. Of course, when the curl WAS created, they’ve used it ever since. This will be the first time we see Superman without the curl since pretty much the beginning of the character.

Actually if you remember the Lois and Clark tv series. Dean Cain had a curl when he was Clark Kent, but had his hair slicked back for Superman. Plus he did have a curl when he first came on the scene in Action Comics, way back in 1938.

I agree, and am enthusiastic about the film, but what makes me nervous is simply “Sucker Punch.”. After some iconic action scenes and popcorn fun in 300, and the extremely adept and appropriate retelling of the Watchmen story, Sucker Punch was a real blow to the sternum. Remarkably misguided, irrelevant and offensive, it’s greatest fault was in the hollow nonsense vibe that permeated every scene. I squirmed through that debacle, and couldn’t believe it was the same guy. If he can make something that bad and that distasteful, it’s hard to simply trust him. The material here is more “sacred” so to speak, and he seems to revere it, so maybe there is nothing to worry about. Id hate to be dissapointed by this rebirth. It looks really good though, and I also like what he says.

Every time people bring up the Sucker Punch argument, I quickly remind them that it was Snyder himself who wrote that story. All that movie did was show that Snyder may be a visionary director, but he’s no storywriter. Man of Steel was written by Nolan and Goyer. You can be apprehensive for a number of other reasons, but in my opinion, being apprehensive because of Sucker Punch isn’t very logical. And anyway, besides the nonsensical storytelling, the action in Sucker Punch was actually pretty bad ass…he used angles and techniques that few directors could even dream of nailing. Fear not, man. This movie might not blow our minds (I sincerely pray that it does!) but it will be, at the very least, greatly entertaining.

I agree, but I’m not sure any movie can live up to the expectation put on this one. It seems that WB/DC is waging thier whole universe and future on this movie. That’s a lot to expect from a single movie. There are bound to be things people won’t like.

All I ask for is a good, quality Superman movie, with good writing and a good story. I just want a good quality movie from WB/DC. I can’t wait to see it and I have my fingers crossed!!

That’s all I want too. It’s just that everyone is hyping it up to be a masterpiece, and all of that hype is rubbing off on me even if I’m not feeding into the hype myself. I really hope it succeeds, but I feel as if I’m gonna be let down.

Just the look in Cavill’s face in the second pic shows the concentration and effort that is required to fly. In all the superman incarnations I’ve seen, flying was like breathing, very second nature, but I like the fact that in MOS it looks like Supes will be just as powerful, it will just take more effort to reach that kind of strength. And Snyder really couldn’t have found a better actor to play Supes. Cavill just has this innocent and sincere quality about him, but still looks like a man’s man. Routh tried too hard to emulate Reeve and while I think he brought a more stoic side to the character, Cavill’s interpretation just feels so real.

Truth. But it takes more than a costume to recreate Christopher Reeve anyway. I think he’s always going to be irreplaceable, sadly. I’m glad they’re going into a bit of a different direction here, it feels like.

All I’m asking for out of this film is an epic start to an amazing Superman film trilogy. I don’t care about Justice League. I don’t care about shared universes. Just give me an awesome start to a new series I can care about.

I never read it as an insult at all. Back then, I guess spandex helped to show a person’s body shape better than other materials and was also cheap to buy, making it to go-to material for comic book movies as well as pro wrestling where limitless amounts of money aren’t available.

These days, huge productions get huge budgets and we’ve all become more cynical and sneering at the word “spandex” as meaning “cheap” and having other negative connotations attached.

I like that Superman would essentially be a very strong character physically but that it would require much effort to exert the necessary amount of strength while at the same time equal effort to hold back. It makes sense, especially at the beginning of his career. It makes it all the more scarier when he loses control.

I see how Snyder is making this film with much care and respect, almost similar to that of Joss Whedon on the Avengers. They both took different direction but both approached with care and reverence. Snyder understands the icon status of Superman and the conflicting idea that he may be outdated, as both a character and film star. I like the approach to the film and hope for the best.

I think Roth tried too hard too copy Reeve, he will always be my Superman. But I think Cavell has nailed the part. Plus I like the redesign of the suit, when compared too Superman Returns. In SR, the suit was too dark in spots, a burgandy cape instead of a bright red cape. Superman’s colors should reflect hope for a brighter tomorrow. Something the character said when interviewed by lois at the end of the recent trailer. “On my world, it,(S), stands for hope. And my biggest gripe on SR the shorts and belt were below his waist, making his legs look too tiny and small. I think the new suit looks awesome, I saw it at Comic Con last summer.

I think it was Bryan Singer who tried to hard to copy Donnor’s work in the original film, not Routh trying to copy Reeve as much. Besides Routh was chosen by Singer because he he resembled Reeve as the film would take place after Superman 2.

I agree about his shorts & belt were below his waist. But not as much. What bothered me was the S’s on the boot heels & Smaller S emblem on his chest. Of-course no yellow S on the cape as Cavill’s costume. Reasone i liked it was because not alot of heroes have their emblems on their capes too. A yellow S emblem looked good on the back of his cape imo.

How does growing up on earth in the yellow sun make Clark different from the other Kryptonians? I read somewhere it makes or made a difference, can’t find the article though.

I hope if they do tie it into another movie they do it like Iron Man 1. It was the best because it was so subtle. I really hope they don’t just try to showhorn a bunch of DC characters into MOS so they can get a head start on a JLA movie. I know it’s been said and probably criticized but it would be so cool to include Nolan’s Batman. I just can’t see him recast so soon after such a successful trilogy that’s still so fresh in my mind. Seeing Bale and Cavill together would be awesome. There are a lot of reasons why it could work, but also a lot of reasons it couldn’t.

Sorry if you guys are sick of hearing about Nolan/Superman/Batman/JLA.
I’m out of the country, got to see Iron Man 3 2 days ago and now I am all pumped about comic movies, especially MOS and phase 2,so of course I am thinking about DC phase one. Hoping you guys can offer opinions on the pros and cons of a shared universe with MOS and TDK. Maybe an article about the 5 reasons it could work, and 5 reasons it couldn’t. Man, I am so pumped. Snyder better deliver the goods.

As good as the TDK trilogy was I want a different Batman and actor. The Batman in Justice League should able to stand side by side Superman as equals, a tactician and a master detective. Bale’s Batman never became this and is retired with a bad knee in DKRises. That’s part of the reason I don’t want the DK trilogy to be a part of MOS but then again who should play Batman then?

RIP Christopher Reeve. You were the best-looking and most approachable Superman IMO. And that’s what I think Superman should be: friendly-looking and approachable…only ‘bad ass’ when he needs to be. That’s his trademark because going right back to the early days his primary role was as a super-fireman- to save and rescue. Value all life regardless. Batman was the crime-fighter type. So Chris Reeve looked the part- his smile was sincere and gracious. So much so that anybody would trust him to carry them 1000 feet above sea level to safety. Cavill is okay but he’s a bit dark- I’d trust him because I have to. Ah well, he’s a good replacement.

Well, there goes my hope to see Supes glide through the skies like I mentioned in another thread. It seems it’s going to be violent flying all the way like Neo. Nothing wrong with that but gliding over the city is just as believable. You don’t always want to drive your car at top speed, sometimes you just wanna cruise and enjoy the view. As a kid, the relaxed flying scenes in Reeve’s movies made me green with envy. His gradually lift off then rocket propulsion, though not flawless considering modern tech nowadays, made flight seem so effortless and enjoyable. Violent flight makes the act seem like a necessary evil that should only be embarked in an emergency. Maybe I’m biased with the memory of Chris Reeve’s signature pre-credits cruising around the planet then his gracious flash of teeth to the audience as he casually flies past the screen. Maybe.

I can understand Thor and Iron Man having to always fly violently considering their means of propulsion. But for Supes, I think it should be a matter of choice.

I see what you’re saying and I agree. It’s not always a race sometimes you just want to cruise. I want to see that as well. Flight should be an enjoyable act as well as emergency means of travel. At some point I hope we get to see him revel in flying, free of gravity and exhilarated by it.

I would liken it to riding a motorbike because it’s the closest sensation to flying I can imagine. There are times when I want to really cut loose but, still there are times I like to just ride around and enjoy the wind in my face.

I agree with you. about Reeve’s Superman. Not just his version. But like the animators did with Batman:TAS, I enjoyed what they did with Superman in Superman:TAS just as much. He was like Reeve’s Superman but as the show got into it’s last season, Superman had his dark moments because of the acts of Darkseid.

I’m sorry Henry Cavill, does not look Superman, still looks like “young John Travolta grease hair with a cape. Should’ve stick with tradition, lose the red briefs, I’m ok with that, But not have the “S” curl on the forehead, that was a stupid decision to let go. It has been and always will be a Superman trait and trademark of this iconic character.I’m very optimistic about this redo or remake of this Superman movie. Not really excited about this new one, as I was with the 1st Superman when I was a child. Christopher Reeve will always be the true Superman no matter who takes crown of this character. Brandon Roth I thought was great in Superman Returns, just got stuck with a bad story plot. See new villains like Brainac, Doomsday, Metallo, Darkseid instead of General Zod. And back to the story of origins of Superman again for the 3rd time. Need new ideas, bring fresh new characters that never been on film. Not a sorry redo or remake. I’m a huge Superman fan, I will see this Man of Steel, this could be a huge disappointment. But I will wait until after seeing this movie

Sorry to say but from ur comment I think ur not a fan of superman or afraid of change.

Superman are in his darkest day in live action movie.because he is unable to fit In modern Audience. So they redesign superman for today audience.

I see First movie of superman near about 2000. 22 year after release. So according to me it is great movie in its time but bad according to today audience. Even his style is so lame. Henry look much cooler then any supermans in past.

Henry look like fighter in this costume. And other look like circus performer in old costume.

Ok I’m of fan, you just don’t know me as you think you do. Afraid of change. NO not a all. Change is ok, but when they take certain things that doesn’t need to be fix. Somethings are best left alone. Henry Cavill may act like Superman, but isn’t the real Superman that we all love from Original movie. The current costume I like, but Cavill doesn’t have the look to be Superman. Sorry, but I’m not the producers or the director who makes these crazy changes. Believe me if I had those decisions. I would bring the Doomsday Trilogy to life, and bring New characters on the Big screen, The idea of bring back General Zod is “puke” in my stomach. And going back to how Clark becomes Superman is really getting old. How many times do we the movie audience have to see the origins of a superhero a million times over! Boring! And tired to see this idea over and over. You are telling me I’m not a Superman fan. I’m been at it since the 70′s, even watch the G. Reeves Superman from the 1960′s and have Sign autograph from the creator Siegel, on the Death of Superman comics back in 92! So I know on what I’m talking about! If you going to revamp a iconic character, Get something fresh and new. Quit redoing the same ideas, over where fans that have been at for years, are just shaking in their heads ‘No” and Why?. But it is what it is. This may your modern day Superman, It certainly not mine. there is some changes I do not like, but I cannot really say my judgement until after I see this movie.

As far as Superman’s origin being retold over and over, that’s just untrue. Superman’s origin has only been told in one movie and that was 34 years ago. Hardly what you could call overdone.
And saying Cavill doesn’t look like Superman because his hair? If you look back, more live action incarnations of Superman lack his trademark curl than those that have it. Including Routh, whom you have already praised. Physically speaking, Cavill looks more like Superman than any actor previous. In the source material Superman was always drawn as a physically imposing individual. The exception being Secret Origins which was intentionally drawn to resemble Christopher Reeve. He was never drawn especially lean or in Routh’s case downright skinny. If you look at the source, Reeve looked little like Superman.
Looking at the source material this incarnation is not even the biggest deviation of Superman’s look, or have you forgotten the “electric Superman” of the late 90s. Who was then split into two different colored Supermen. Look at the original, hugely different from what the generally accepted “look” of Superman’s costume. The original “S” shield was shaped like a police badge, then an inverted triangle, finally the pentagonal shape we have today.

Well I understand. AS being origins being retold to many times. Yes it has been, All through the comics. tv shows and movies. The reasons the Superman Animated Series is better than the movies, because the was a new storyline to tell and more villains than Lex Luthor and General Zod. As for the hair, well Sorry I still think Cavill isn’t Superman, but there is also Dean Cain who played Superman in the Adventures of Lois and Clark”S Too many Generations have pass and Christopher Reeve is gone(RIP). Go with flow, Like I said I cannot really be judgemental until after I see this new film

You can’t assume that everyone has seen the Tv shows or read the comics before. This is to bring in a new audience, a new generation of movie goers, as far as movies go this is the first origin story told in three decades. I agree we need more villians, I have said as much in other threads, but at least it’s not Lex Luthor, at least it is someone with superpowers.

P. S. Dean Cain did not have “the curl” either, when in costume his hair was slicked back.

You do realise Christopher Reeve was blond and actually had to put boot polish in his hair for his original screen test right? As well as putting on lots of muscle because he had the height blue eyes, but was very wiry.

Christopher Reeve didn’t come out of the womb born to play Superman any more than anyone else. They made him fit. You may deny it, but you may be looking though rose tinted glasses just a little.

By the way, I also thought Reeve was a fantastic Superman, but excuse the pun….. the 78 Superman simply wouldn’t fly nowadays.

Your kidding Jason arnt you?? Henry Cavill is perfect for Superman! Its him, its Superman! I couldnt think of anyone else right now that could do it other than Henry, Ive said this before but I reckon MOS will be the greatest superhero film ever made, Big call I know but thats the feeling im getting, Maybe cos im a massive Superman fan anyway so I could be a little bias but who cares, This will be the benchmark, Superman will be back on his rightful perch, The Nolan and Snyder combo is the perfect partnership for this type of movie, Also Shannon as General Zod looks insanly badass, and scary..I WILL FIND HIM!!!…Its Movie of the year. Ironman who???

Im fine with change this time, Im all for something different this time around. Just odd seeing so many comic book fans get a bit wrinkled over change – they do it all the time. Looking forward to it, even if it stinks. And if it does I’ll be here moaning about it.

I’m soooo pumped for this movie that if it disappoints I think I will cry. “Iron Man 3″ has been the first let down for me this summer. I have more interest in MOS though, so if it fails I will be glum.

I’ve given up on “having a good feeling” that a film is gonna rock because however good something looks, it’s has every chance of being bad.